Town have revealed that York City youngster Chris Hogg cost an initial fee of £150,000. But the Minstermen could see up to £500,000 depending on the progress of the England Under-17 central defender.
This is the first time Town have spent this kind of money on a youngster and David Sheepshanks says this illustrates how important the club see the Academy: "This is the biggest fee we’ve ever paid for such a young player and is a clear signal of the intention to support our very substantial investment in our Academy programme. Successful youth development is an integral part of the future of the club and the achievements of our under-17 team last season are a good indication of our progress. The arrival of Chris Hogg at Portman Road, along with a number of other talented 16-year-olds as new members of the Academy, augers well for our future. It is pleasing that Chris Hogg chose Ipswich Town ahead of a number of other major clubs known to be interested."
Academy Director Bryan Klug and Academy Recruitment Officer Malcolm Moore both wathced Hogg play for the England Under-17s last night. Hogg will join Town for training when he returns from England duty.